PRACTICE TEST FOR THE UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATION - No. 30 Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from that of the others. 1. A. mountain B. southern C. mouth D. count 2. A. achieve B. chorus C. cancel D. chemistry 3. A. tongue B. donkey C. month D. uncle 4. A. author B. both C. depth D. smooth 5. A. doubt B. subtle C. lamb D. beach Choose the best answer to complete the sentence. 6. He thinks you are _____ your time looking for a job in this town. A. wasting B. spending C. missing D. losing 7. Some people _____ sport to keep fit, not because they like it. A. do B. make C. train D. practice 8. I really can’t ______ the twins apart. They look so alike. A. say B. talk C. take D. tell 9. One _____ of the scheme is the very high cost. A. advantage B. shortage C. drawback D. shortcoming 10. You will be surprised at how _____ Joe is in French after a year. A. fluently B. fluent C. fluency D. influence 11. –“ Is dinner ready?” -“ No, Mother is _____ it ready now.” A. doing B. cooking C. preparing D. getting 12. According to a recent survey, most people are on good _____ with their neighbours. A. relations B. acquaintance C. Relationships D. terms 13. She ______ to tell them where the money was hidden. A. objected B. rejected C. refused D. disagreed 14. The mirror was ______ broken. A. accident B. accidental C. accidentally D. by accident 15. _ “Let’s go to Vung Tau on the weekend.”_ “_____________” A. That’s a fine day B. That’s a good trip C. Yes, please D. Yes, let’s 16. Alice: “What shall we do this weekend?” Carol: “________________________” A. I went out for dinner. B. Oh, that’s good. C. Let’s go out for dinner. D. No problem. 17. Do you happen to know _____ ? A. of whom this watch is B. whose watch is this C. whose watch this is D. this watch of whose 18. –“ Who should go to see him?” -“ I suggest that Mary ________ to see him.” A. go B. goes C. went D. would go 19. _______ blind can see nothing. A. The B. A C. Every D. All 20. It took the director two hours _______. A. explaining us the new plan B. to explain us the new plan C. explaining the new plan to us D. to explain the new plan to us 21. They were too late. The plane ______ off ten minutes earlier. A. took B. has taken C. Had taken D. was taking 22. –“ How do I look tonight?” -“ Wow! ______ dress you have on!” A. What a beautiful B. What beautiful C. How beautiful D. How a beautiful 23. We have been informed that ______ animals at the zoo are starving to death. A. most of B. most all C. almost the D. most of the 24. Wait _____, I’m finishing the letter. A. a minute B. one minute C. the minute D. minute 25. The pottery _____ by the ancient Greeks ______ decorated. A. making/ was beautiful B. made/ was beautifully C. was made/ were beautiful D. to make/ were beautifully 26. “I’d like the blue jacket, pleases! Can I try it on?” – Yes, _______________ “ A. you would B. you must C. certainly D. you do 27. Lan: “Hello. You must be Maryam.” Maryam: “_________________________” A. Yes, I must B. Yes, I do C. Yes, I am D. No, I mustn’t 28. The thief was _____ to six months’ imprisonment. A. given B. allowed C. sent D. sentenced 29. The bad weather _____ the plane being delayed. A. caused B. resulted in C. created D. made 30. Most Americans don’t object ______ them by their first names. A. that I call B. to my calling C. for calling D. for being called 31. To generate income, magazine publishers must decide whether to increase the subscription price or ______. A. to sell advertising B. if they should sell advertising C. selling advertising D. sold advertising 32. Maria: “ I’m taking my end-of-term examination tomorrow.” Sarah: “ ______________ “ A. Good luck” B. Good day C. Good time D. Good chance 33. Buy me a newspaper on your way back, ____? A. would you B. do you C. don’t you D. won’t you 34. It is essential that all top security documents ______ be stamped CONFIDENTAL. A. should B. must C. will D. may 35. The accused denied ______ in the vicinity of the murder scene. A. to have ever been B. have ever been C. having been ever D. ever having been 36. Are you going repair the car yourself or are you going to ____________? A. repair it B. get it to repair C. have it repaired D. take it to repair 37. Your sister has ______ in an accident. A. badly been injured B. been badly injured C. been injured badly D. all READING: Read the following passage, then choose the best answer to the questions below. It is commonly believed in the United States that school is where people go to get an education. Nevertheless, it has been said that today children interrupt their education to go to school.The distinction between schooling and education implied by this remark is important. Education is much more open-ended and all-inclusive than schooling. Education knows no bounds. It can take place anywhere, whether in the shower or on the job, whether in a kitchen or on a tractor. It includes both the formal learning that takes place in schools and the whole universe of informal learning. The agents of education can range from a revered grandparent to the people debating politics on the radio, from a child to a distinguished scientist. Whereas schooling has a certain predictability, education quite often produces surprises. A chance conversation with a stranger may lead a person to discover how little is known of other religions. People are engaged in education from infancy on. Education, then, is a very broad, inclusive term. It is a lifelong process, a process that starts long before the start of school, and one that should be an integral part of one's entire life. Schooling, on the other hand, is a specific, formalized process, whose general pattern varies little from one setting to the next. Throughout a country, children arrive at school at approximately the same time, take assigned seats, are taught by an adult, use similar textbooks, do homework, take exams, and so on. The slices of reality that are to be learned, whether they are the alphabet or an understanding of the workings of government, have usually been limited by the boundaries of the subject being taught. For example, high school students know that they are not likely to find out in their classes the truth about political problems in their communities or what the newest filmmakers are experimenting with. There are definite conditions surrounding the formalized process of schooling. 38. What does the author probably mean by using the expression “children interrupt their education to go to school” (lines 2) ? A. Going to several different schools is educationally beneficial. B. School vacations interrupt the continuity of the school year. C.Summer school makes the school year too long. D. All of life is an education. 39. The word “bounds”in line 4 is closest in meaning to ___________. A. rules B. experience C. limits D. exceptions 40. The word “chance” in line 9 is closest in meaning to_________________. A. unplanned B. unusual C. lengthy D. lively 41. The word “an integral” in line 12 is closest in meaning to ____________. A. an equitable B. a profitable C. a pleasant D. an essential 42. The word “they” in line 16 refers to ____________. A. slices of reality B. similar textbooks C. boundaries D. seats 43. The phrase “For example,” line 22, introduces a sentence that gives examples of _________. A. similar textbooks B. the results of schooling C. the workings of a government D. the boundaries of classroom subjects 44. The passage supports which of the following conclusions? A. Without formal education, people would remain ignorant. B. Education systems need to be radically reformed. C. Going to school is only part of how people become educated. D. Education involves many years of professional training. 45. The passage is organized by ___________________________. A. listing and discussing several educational problems B. contrasting the meanings of two related words C. narrating a story about excellent teachers D. giving examples of different kinds of schools Read the following passage, then choose the best answer to the questions below. Life originated in the early seas less than a billion years after Earth was formed. Yet another three billion years were to pass before the first plants and animals appeared on the continents. Life's transition from the sea to the land was perhaps as much of an evolutionary challenge as was the genesis of life.What forms of life were able to make such a drastic change in lifestyle ? The traditional view of the first terrestrial organisms is based on megafossils ― relatively large specimens of essentially whole plants and animals. Vascular plants, related to modern seed plants and ferns, left the first comprehensive megafossil record. Because of this, it has been commonly assumed that the sequence of terrestrialization reflected the evolution of modern terrestrial ecosystems. In this view, primitive vascular plants first colonized the margins of continental waters, followed by animals that fed on the plants, and lastly by animals that preyed on the plant-eaters. Moreover, the megafossils suggest that terrestrial life appeared and diversified explosively near the boundary between the Silurian and the Devonian periods, a little more than 400 million years ago. Recently, however, paleontologists have been taking a closer look at the sediments below this Silurian- Devonian geological boundary. It turns out that some fossils can be extracted from these sediments by putting the rocks in an acid bath. The technique has uncovered new evidence from sediments that were deposited near the shores of the ancient oceans ― plant microfossils and microscopic pieces of small animals. In many instances the specimens are less than one-tenth of a millimeter in diameter. Although they were entombed in the rocks for hundreds of millions of years, many of the fossils consist of the organic remains of the organism. These newly discovered fossils have not only revealed the existence of previously unknown organisms, but have also pushed back these dates for the invasion of land by multicellular organisms. Our views about the nature of the early plant and animal communities are now being revised. And with those revisions come new speculations about the first terrestrial life-forms. 46. The word “drastic” in line 4 is closest in meaning to A. widespread B. radical C. progressive D. risky 47. According to the theory that the author calls “the traditional view,” what was the first form of life to appear on land? A. Bacteria B.Meat-eating animals C. Plant-eating animals D. Vascular plants 48. According to the passage, what happened about 400 million years ago? A. Many terrestrial life-forms died out. B. New life-forms on land developed at a rapid rate. C. The megafossils were destroyed by floods. D. Life began to develop in the ancient seas. 49. The word “extracted” in line 14 is closest in meaning to A. located B. preserved C. removed D. studied 50. What can be inferred from the passage about the fossils mentioned from “ It turns out that some fossils can be . . .” to “ . . . pieces of small animals”? A. They have not been helpful in understanding the evolution of terrestrial life. B. They were found in approximately the same numbers as vascular plant fossils. C. They are older than the megafossils. D. They consist of modern life-forms. 51. The word “instances” in line 17 is closest in meaning to A. methods B. processes C. cases D. reasons 52. The word “they” in line 18 refers to A. rocks B. shores C. oceans D.specimens 53. The word “entombed” in lime 18 is closest in meaning to A. crushed B.trapped C. produced D. excavated 54. Which of the following resulted from the discovery of microscopic fossils? A. The time estimate for the first appearance of terrestrial life-forms was revised. B. Old techniques for analyzing fossils were found to have new uses. C. The origins of primitive sea life were explained. D. Assumptions about the locations of ancient seas were changed. 55. With which of the following conclusions would the author probably agree? A. The evolution of terrestrial life was as complicated as the origin of life itself. B. The discovery of microfossils supports the traditional view of how terrestrial life evolved. C. New species have appeared at the same rate over the course of the last 400 million years. D. The technology used by paleontologists is too primitive to make accurate determinations about ages of fossils. Choose the underlined part in the sentence that needs correcting 56. The high the rate of inflation, the higher the price of things. A B C D 57. State universities bear the name of their state and its achievements are recognized as state A B C D achievements. 58. He has less friends in his classes now than he had last year. A B C D 59. The influence of the nation’s literature, art, and science have captured widespread attention. A B C D 60. That sounds greatly! Let’s join the club and improve your English. A B C D 61. Oyster farming has been practice in most parts of the world for many years. A B C D 62. She was a lawyer before taking up writing professional. A B C D 63. After school many of students participate in sports. A B C D 64. The number of time he spends gardening is increasing every day. A B C D 65. It would be both noticed and appreciating if you could finish the work before you leave. A B C D Read the text below and then choose the best answer to fill each space. Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the world's climate. Many scientists (66)_________ the blame for recent natural disasters on the increase 67)_________ the world's temperatures and are convinced that, more than ever before, the Earth is at (68)_________ from the force of the wind, rain and sun. (69)_________ to them, global warming is making extreme weather events; such as hurricanes and droughts, even more (70)_________ and causing sea levels all around the world to (71)_________. Environmental groups are putting (72)_________ on governments to take action to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide which is given (73)_________ by factories and power plants, thus attacking the problem at its source. They are in (74)_________ of more money being spent on research into solar, wind and wave energy devices, which could then replace existing power stations. Some scientists, (75)_________ , believe that even if we stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere tomorrow, we would have to wait several hundred years to notice the results. Global warming, it seems, is to stay. 66. A. give B. put C. take D. have 67. A. in B. at C. by D. to 68. A. threat B. danger C. risk D. harm 69. A. Concerning B. Regarding C. Depending D. According 70. A. strike B. strong C. severe D. heavy 71. A. raise B. arise C. lift D. rise 72. A. force B. pressure C. persuasion D. encouragement 73. A. off B. away C. up D. over 74. A. belief B. request C. favor D. suggestion 75. A. because B. however C. despite D. although Choose the phrase that best completes the sentence. 76. Her eyes are ___________. A. the same colour as her mother’s B. the same colour as her mother C. same colour as her mother’s eyes D. having same colour as her mother 77. When reaching the top of the hill, __________. A. the sea came into view B. we suddenly caught sight of the sea. C. it was the sea that extended below us D. below us extended the sea 78. To solve this problem, it is advisable ________. A. that to adopt a drastic measure B. that a drastic measure is adopted C. that a drastic measure be adopted D. a drastic measure to be adopted 79. Manufacturers often sacrifice quality _________. A. for a larger profit margin B. in place of to earn more money C. to gain more quantities of money D. and instead earn a bigger amount of money 80. ______________, Sir Isaac Newton described the laws of gravitation. A. Was a seventeenth-century scientist B. Who was a seventeenth-century scientist C. When was a seventeenth-century scientist D. A seventeenth-century scientist `- . them where the money was hidden. A. objected B. rejected C. refused D. disagreed 14. The mirror was ______ broken. A. accident B. accidental C. accidentally D. by accident 15. _ “Let’s go to Vung. __________. A. the sea came into view B. we suddenly caught sight of the sea. C. it was the sea that extended below us D. below us extended the sea 78. To solve this problem, it is advisable ________. . problem. 17. Do you happen to know _____ ? A. of whom this watch is B. whose watch is this C. whose watch this is D. this watch of whose 18. –“ Who should go to see him?” -“ I suggest that Mary ________